Heads-Up Displays gaining automotive favor

When I hear of Heads-Up Displays (or HUDs, for short), the first thing that comes to mind are first-person shooter games and the ability to see all your vital stats — remaining health, current weapon, ammo level, and so forth — while still seeing the enemies down the hall.

This same concept, albeit in a slightly different form, is finding increased interest in the real world of automotive instrumentation. By making use of “floating” displays that show up on the windshield, drivers need not take their eyes off of the road in order to check on their current speed or engine rpm. The goal is to have a working prototype to pitch to commercial automakers within three years.

A more basic HUD can already be found in select BMW M5 and M6 models, but the future would call for projected emails (much safer than reading your Blackberry) and other added functionality.